PARIS, March 1, 2012 (Bicycling.com) — To celebrate its 70th birthday, the mythic Paris-Nice bicycle race is returning to its roots, visiting several of cycling’s landmarks including the famous Col d'Eze.

Regardless of the weather conditions, the eight-stage "Race to the Sun" almost always proves itself a well-balanced affair. With its healthy doses of time trials and climbs, it's often the choice of top Tour de France contenders looking to test their legs early in the season.

The 2012 edition starts in the Chevreuse Valley, the traditional training ground for cyclists in Paris. Opening with a 9.4-kilometer time trial, the riders will sprint up the historic “17-Turns Climb” before finishing in Saint-Remy-les-Chevreuse. Little matter that the climb boasts "only" 14 turns today—it should still provide the first significant selection of the race.

The peloton will then head south, to the center of France. Stage 2 will finish in Orléans and Stage 3 will end at Vassivière Lake, made famous in part by Greg LeMond. It was here that the American snatched his third Tour de France title after he dominated Italy’s Claudio Chiappucci in the final time trial of the 1990 Tour.

By mid-week the race turns eastward, first to Rodez and then to Mende, where it finishes on the short but steep "Laurent Jalabert Climb."

Finally, the riders will edge along the Southern Alps of France as they make their way to Nice. But this year, instead of finishing on the picturesque Promenade des Anglais, the organizers have opted to return to a time trial up the Col d’Eze.

“The fact that the race finishes on the Col d’Eze means that the overall contenders can be more patient,” former pro Frankie Andreu told Bicycling. “They don’t have to lay it on the line two days from the end."

But Andreu, who raced Paris-Nice many times, said there will not be huge gaps because the Col d’Eze is not really a pure climb.

"It starts out really hard but then evens out," he said, "so it gives a time-trailer a chance to take time back on the climbers.”

Profile of the final stage, the Stage 8 time trial: Nice to Col d'Eze. (A.S.O.)

This year’s Paris-Nice boasts a star-studded field with sprinters such as Norwegian Thor Hushovd, Belgian Tom Boonen, Germans Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb, as well as all-arounders like Italian Damiano Cunego, Spain’s Luis Leon Sanchez (winner in 2010), Australia’s Simon Gerrans, and Frenchmen Thomas Voeckler and Sylvain Chavanel.

Notable time-trialers such as Great Britain’s David Millar, America's Taylor Phinney, as well as defending champion Tony Martin of Germany will certainly look forward to the two TTs.

The race route of the 2012 Paris-Nice. (A.S.O)

And while 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans will not be competing, nearly all his rivals will be. The Schleck brothers, Andy and Frank, and German Andreas Klöden (winner in 2000) are set to toe the start line for RadioShack-Nissan.

Stiff competition from the newly revamped Omega Pharma–Quick-Step team, led by Tony Martin and American Levi Leipheimer, should be a force. Italy’s Ivan Basso will be there, too, as well as Slovenia’s Jani Brajkovic, Great Britain’s Bradley Wiggins, and America's Tejay van Garderen.

"There's really a bit of everything for an attacking course," said race director Christian Prudhomme, who also directs the Tour de France.

Nevertheless, he listed Martin, Leipheimer, and his teammate Klöden as the big favorites.